Wait for Me
by Paceismyhero
Summary: "Maybe they could actually be friends now, having more in common than ever before." Long oneshot inspired by A Great Big World's "Already Home". This is an A/U futurefic, but basically everything up to (and including) The Quarterback episode holds true. From there, it is just a snapshot of what could have been. M-rated for language and some sexual content. Please read and review!


**Author's Note:** So I started to feel bad that this took me so long since I literally had the idea the second I heard this song, but now that I see just how darn long it ended up being, I'm going to let myself off the hook. :)

The summary pretty much covered it all, but just note that the stuff in italics is a flashback (mostly in both POVs) and the regular type is present day. Also, neither Glee nor the song (The Great Big World's "Already Home") is mine, so no suing. And, lastly, enjoy!

* * *

Rachel sat on the uncomfortable wooden stool directly in front of a large vanity, her eyes facing the mirror surface but focused on absolutely nothing. She could hear the buzz of other students getting ready behind her, family and friends wishing them luck and asking them questions about their outfits or performances. In the back of her mind she realized her fathers probably wanted to be just like them all, back here fussing over her or at least detailing how proud and excited they were. Unfortunately she'd used up her happy face on them when they'd arrived last night and now she didn't have it in her anymore to care.

All she kept thinking about was him … _them_.

* * *

_Rachel walked like a ghost through her fathers' empty house, her hands skimming across the marble surface of the kitchen island as she meandered toward the backyard. It was a beautiful day - if not freezing considering it was January in Ohio - and she'd promised to try to spend some of it outside the house while they were at work, but she wasn't sure how to tell her fathers that the change of scenery wasn't going to do much for her current mood. She already felt completely lost in her mind; there was no reason to wander around Lima aimlessly until she was __**literally**_ _lost, too._

_She knew they were just trying to help, which she couldn't be more grateful for considering everything they'd gone through over the past couple of years. They were put in an awkward position when Finn had died, the relationship the three of them were re-building after the botched engagement nearly torn down by the news. Rachel couldn't get over the memory of how much they'd been against the severity of their relationship, and she used it against them whenever she felt like yelling more than crying. Then, after she'd immersed herself in her schooling and her career, things slowly got better. They were almost back to normal when she'd earned a spot on an actual Broadway musical, but the alliance was ripped apart almost immediately after when she'd decided to leave NYADA. They'd been furious, but hadn't hesitated even one second when she'd returned home for Hanukkah and admitted she'd discovered that her happily ever after didn't exactly make her happy. _

_She probably did owe them more than just the "I told you so" they undoubtedly deserved, but they hadn't even cashed in on that in the few weeks she'd been home. They probably didn't want to kick her while she was down, and Rachel felt like she was as low as she could get at this point. Honestly, she wasn't even sure if it was possible to have a mid-life crisis at 20 years old, but leave it to her to be the first._

"_Hey," Puck greeted, trying to hide the surprise in his voice. It wasn't a secret she was back home, but no one had really seen her, either. He'd almost feel special if she didn't look like he'd ruined her day by just stepping into her line of vision. "I heard you were back."_

_She nodded solemnly, but stepped further out onto the deck when he moved from his spot by the gate in the fence more into the backyard. She'd heard her fathers talking about hiring someone to fix the pool cover that had ripped after a recent storm brought down some branches, but she hadn't realized that someone was Noah. She hadn't seen him since the memorial for Finn at McKinley, and she still couldn't believe that was almost six months ago now. "How are you?"_

"_Just livin' the dream," he smirked, shrugging in elaboration. "It's Lima."_

"_Right." She nodded sadly, knowing exactly what he meant even though he hadn't really said anything. He'd been here even longer than her, never having left even though he'd thought about it for awhile; she still couldn't have been more thankful that someone had finally talked him out of entering the military. Nonetheless, she knew Lima had never really been his plan, but she was happy he'd found a way to honor his best friend by helping Mr. Schuester with the glee club. "I didn't realize you'd reinstated your pool-cleaning business."_

"_I'm a jack of many trades." He looked up from the area he'd have to patch on the cover, squinting through the sunlight that shone heavily behind her. The daylight seemed to make even her faint smile seem bright. "I can give ya lessons on bein' a townie, if ya want."_

_Her smile widened in spite of herself. Part of it was just Noah, but the other part was the connection she felt to him, the same sense of loneliness she felt coming off of him just like the waves she felt crashing around herself. Maybe they could actually be friends now, having more in common than ever. "Thank you, Noah." _

* * *

_Puck stopped at the intersection, waiting for the few cars to go by before he continued his run through town. It was February and colder than ever out, but it hadn't snowed in a few weeks, which meant the ground was mostly uncovered. He used to use the gym to pick up women, but he legit hated working out inside - other than boxing, but that was only because it was kind of hard to set up a bag and everything outside. His ma called him a caged animal, which sort of made sense to him; he liked the freedom he felt running through town, how he could change the route every time and never do the same thing twice. Besides, it was a lot easier to concentrate when there weren't a bunch of dumb bitches trying to strike up a conversation with him or impress him with a particularly flexible stretch that he'd seen done a million times before._

_Not that he didn't get distracted out in the open. Case in point: Rachel Berry._

"_Hey!" She greeted happily, pulling out one of her ear pieces as she neared and wincing as the volume was so high that her music could still be heard. "Running to the state line?"_

_He chuckled lightly, playing along only because the song he could hear was actually pretty good, so he couldn't give her shit for it. "Maybe just the city; gotta nice strip club in the next one over, ya know?"_

"_I didn't, actually. Thank you," she deadpanned, rolling her eyes a little before settling them back on his frame. They'd only seen each other once more since that first meeting in her backyard, and she frowned again at the realization that she wished it weren't true. They'd had fun that night; he'd taken her to a bowling alley that was a staple in Lima but one she'd managed to avoid the previous 20 years of her life - unacceptable for a townie, he'd said. Noah had just turned 21 and bought them each a beer, but she'd only agreed to drink it after she'd bought him a cupcake and put a candle in the middle; he'd said it was his wish for her to get drunk with him. She'd only had the one beer, but he'd promised it wouldn't be the last time he'd try. "Do you run often?"_

_He shrugged noncommittally, moving his eyes off her running attire (and the frame that held it) and back to her eyes. "Why?"_

"_I was thinking, perhaps, we could work out together." She smiled bashfully, hoping it didn't sound like she was hitting on him; she wasn't, even if she __**had**_ _noticed the pull of his sweat-tinged shirt against his broad chest and muscular arms. "I promise I can keep up."_

"_You always could, Berry," he responded, though even he wasn't sure exactly what it meant. He had a knack for making anything sound sexual, though, and sometimes it was easier than having a real conversation. "But, sure. Yeah. Cool."_

"_Cool," she echoed, moving to replace the earbud she'd previously removed. She wasn't sure if she was hurrying to leave before she changed or mind, or he did. "I'll text you."_

"_Did you say __**sext**__?" He laughed when she just rolled her eyes at him again - it may just be her default for him; she couldn't have possibly heard him once the music was back in her ear - and brushed by him to run back the way he'd just came from. He forced himself not to turn back and watch her, but that didn't stop his eyes from scanning each street after that to see if their paths would cross again._

* * *

_Rachel lifted her cup high in the air as she squeezed through the crowd to get outside, bringing it back to her chest and sighing in relief the second the crisp air hit her lungs. She still wasn't sure why she'd agreed to come along, though she guessed it had something to do with wanting to get out of the house and away from her fathers. It was her own fault for telling them that she was thinking about applying to some schools for the fall; she knew it was a little late and she knew they would be excited, but she would have hoped for them to talk to her about __**anything**_ _else in the past week. Turned out no, though, which was likely why she'd practically ran to Noah's when he'd texted her about coming to the party._

"_You," she accused when she spotted him leaning against the railing of the owner's back porch. Every single girl she'd passed inside the house knew where he was, and she got some sort of satisfaction in knowing that she didn't need to prepare some opening line to earn his attention. "You just left me in there!"_

_He let his elbow hold much of his upper body's weight as he swiveled toward her, smirking a little at her annoyed expression. "Can't handle yourself, Berry?"_

"_More like I don't appreciate being __**handled**__," she pointed out, shuttering a little when she remembered the one guy's slimy attempt to hit on her. "Why are you even out here? Isn't this like … your thing?"_

"_Eh." He turned back toward the backyard, losing himself in his thoughts again even though it was harder with her next to him, staring at him. "I'm kinda over the whole thing."_

"_Is this going to be another one of those conversations about how being 21 is so much more adult than me only being 20?"_

_He chuckled and shook his head even though he couldn't help but mention, "You're pretty drunk for someone who ain't 21, though."_

"_I'm not drunk," she argued immediately, mimicking his position against the railing even though her hands cradled a mostly empty cup of the house alcoholic concoction. She nudged his shoulder with her own when she saw his disbelieving expression. "I'm not!"_

"_You're all flush."_

"_It's spring!"_

_He rolled his eyes. "Berry, if anything is my __**thing**__, it's knowin' when chicks are drunk. And you only look like this if you're toast or horny. So, which is it?"_

_She blushed, hoping the alleged flush he saw was covering it up even though her response was even more embarrassing. "Maybe it's both."_

_The smile slipped from Puck's face, the knowing look he'd plastered on falling to make way for the stunned expression he wasn't sure would ever come off. While Rachel was drunk, he'd only had a few beers (and a few shots). He wasn't nearly hammered enough to make decisions that he knew he'd regret later, and he was fully aware that his reasons for regretting any such decisions would be completely different than usual. That wasn't really surprising, though; Rachel wasn't like other girls and, even if she were, he'd never treat her like it - he still was trying to figure out why, exactly._

"_Well," he began nervously, as if not sure he should trust anything going on at that moment. In fact, if he let the last few months flash through his eyes, a lot of it seemed to be heading toward something a little unbelievable. "If that's true, maybe we should hang out, like, for real."_

"_Like a date?" She asked, halfway between teasing and anxious. One would think she wouldn't be so nervous when this very scenario had slowly started to take over every spare quiet moment in her head._

_He sighed dramatically, already feeling more confident since it now seemed like her idea instead of his. "What's it with broads and labels?"_

"_It's how we know something's worth," she answered immediately, as if it were one of those things all girls had discussed precisely how to answer - probably during the same time when they were pulled away in the fifth grade to talk about their periods and whatever. _

"_Well, then know a date with a Puckerman is worth a dinner, a movie and, __**minimum**_ … _second base."_

_She shook her head at him, not sure if he was grinning because it was a joke or because he really did enjoy making her uncomfortable as much as she thought. Either way, she bumped her shoulder against his once more before starting to make her way back into the party. She waited until she was about 20 feet away before coyly responding, "How about 7 tomorrow?"_

_Luckily he had the railing to support him, the words falling out of his mouth effortlessly even though he swore he was going to die of shock. "It's a date."_

* * *

_Puck heard her long before she appeared, the squeal damn near deafening even in the open space of her backyard. The gate flew open and snapped shut, the pink of her sundress a blur as she skipped closer and closer to him, chanting, "I got in! I got in!"_

"_Where?" He asked seconds before she crashed into his frame. Had he seen it coming, it would have been no big deal. But, because she was on hyper-mode and was a lot stronger than her tiny body would imply, he lost his balance and they both ended up falling into her fathers' freshly clean pool. "Jesus, shit! That's cold!"_

"_I got in," she repeated, too excited to notice the temperature of the water and how it wasn't much higher than the cool June day. She did, however, make note of his naked torso and the way said chilled water beaded down his face and chest once her arms reclaimed their position around his neck. "I was accepted into Tisch's fall music program!"_

"_That's great, babe," he managed, even adding a slight smile for good measure. It wasn't like he __**wasn't**_ _happy for her. She wasn't the type of person who should be trapped in their small town, and he knew even at the beginning that she wasn't going to stay forever. But he had gotten used to her being around, even more so lately; they'd only gone on a few dates since broaching the subject a couple months ago, and it wasn't anything serious - a lot of making out and a little of some other stuff. It was slow, but it was also good. Better than he would have thought, which said something considering he'd thought about it before. A lot._

"_You could at least pretend to be __**a little**_ _happy," she teased, shoving playfully at his head and watching in fascination as the water slicked across his newly buzzed hair._

"_You could pretend to be a lil' sad," he countered, his arms loosening a little just so his hands could actually touch her; the cotton fabric of her dress was clinging to her frame, just begging him to test his limits. _

"_Doubtful," she breathed, wishing (but not really) that his touch didn't have such a strong pull on her. Things between them were progressing slower than she would have thought - certainly for __**Puckasarus **__- but it was refreshing. It seemed to validate it more, like it wasn't just a symptom of being lonely or spending time together or knowing each other. It was probably a little of all those things, too, but it also felt real. "Especially not if you keep doing that."_

"_What am I doin'?" He asked, a smirk in his voice since his lips were far too busy exploring the glorious skin of her exposed neck while his hands crept further up her thighs until they settled right where her ass started, under her dress. "You're the one who plowed into me, remember?"_

"_Right. You're completely innocent," she agreed mockingly, her smile lost when she felt his teeth nip at the sensitive skin below her ear right before her back hit the wall of the pool. God, it had been a long time. "You're just a hard worker who I've corrupted."_

"_**Very **__hard," he growled, pressing into her even more just to verify his double entendre. His eyes shut when she pushed back, gyrating against him just enough to make her own point. The cold water suddenly felt like it was boiling, her hands leaving a trail of fire as she swept them across his back, his neck and then finally used them to move his eyes back onto her. She had an intense look on her face, and he went the safer route mostly just for his own sanity. "It's good to see ya happy again, B."_

_She melted at his words, though she was basically already a puddle in his arms. Pressing her lips to his, she only let herself get carried away for a few minutes before pulling back and whispering, "Come inside and make me happier."_

* * *

Rachel shook her head from her thoughts, coming back to the present as someone was literally shaking her. She looked in the mirror and saw Kurt's jubilant expression, surprised when she looked to her own reflection and didn't see much of a difference.

"You're glowing!" He said, releasing her only to fiddle with her hair. "I haven't seen you smile like that in weeks!" He frowned as her previous smile turned into a grimace. "And there it goes."

She sighed and shrugged emptily, not really having an excuse and not really needing one. Even though she'd left NYADA and New York, when she'd come back for Tisch she'd moved right back into the apartment with Kurt; Santana had ended up leaving New York and moving to LA after everything that happened with Finn, pursuing a modeling career that so far was quite successful. Rachel actually missed her sometimes (she'd later wondered if it was because the Latina reminded her so much of Noah), but it was nice just sharing the apartment with Kurt. Through the years they'd gotten even closer than before, which was no doubt why he felt comfortable enough coming backstage even though she'd told everyone (including him) not to.

"Try not to think about it tonight. Just, go out there and work it." He nodded like that was all it would take to make it happen, then added, "You're worrying too much about it all, anyway. Remember when you were worried you guys wouldn't make it past the first year? Everything will be _fine_!"

Rachel nodded, though it was more in agreement to the first part of his argument than the last.

* * *

_Rachel huffed as she pulled on the sweater she was trying to pack, most of it stuck under Noah's unyielding frame. "I'd already be finished by now if you weren't being so immature."_

"_That's the point."_

"_Noah," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. You're not even going to notice I'm gone once school starts; I promise there is quite a difference between helping with glee club and practically running it."_

"_You'd know," he joked, easily able to remember the days when her and Mr. Schue would argue about which of the two of them was actually the director. "But I ain't takin' over. Schue's busy gettin' ready for the kid, but s'not like he's gonna be gone. Guy's gotta keep his job."_

"_Yes, but he trusted you to take on the extra responsibility since he knew his attention would be understandably split between his professional life and his personal life."_

"_He kinda ran outta options," he stated bitterly, bypassing the path his mind immediately started to go down, one where he felt more like he was invading his dead best friend's territory less than he was admirably taking over the burden. "He just knew I'd be there."_

_She glared at him as she taped up the now full box, understanding both the hidden meaning and the one he all-but confessed to earlier. She went the easier route with, "You aren't honestly going to spy on your little sister the entire time, are you?"_

"_Someone's gotta watch her!" He defended. "Ma's never home and those shitty dudes in her class legit can't take a hint." He shrugged complacently, knowing he sounded like he was overreacting even though he __**wasn't**__; Sarah was a pain in the ass, but she was __**his **__pain in the ass. "I just don't want her …"_

"_Turning into you?" Rachel asked teasingly, moving the box from her bed to a spot by the door along with the others. _

"_No," he gritted out, narrowing his eyes. "She's just a kid. She should __**be**_ _just a kid. The whole dating game can wait."_

"_Speaking of the dating game," Rachel began nervously, moving to stand in between his legs even though he'd just reclined back to lay on her bed. It was probably for the best that he wasn't looking at her, as she felt pretty foolish already without the threat of any potential mockery - or worse: rejection. "We are … I mean, you and I …" She exhaled heavily, shaking her head in exasperation before blurting out, "Are we exclusive?"_

_Puck hinged forward, as if the hook of his eyebrows had pulled him up. "Huh?"_

"_It's just, we haven't really talked about it - about anything. And I'm fine with that, honestly." She nodded, as if the gesture alone was truer than the words. "I know you hate the label thing, but … I mean, I think this is potentially something … good. And … I just … I need to leave knowing whether or not I'm alone in that thinking."_

"_Who am I gonna fuck while you're gone? It's Lima."_

_She sighed at his response, not feeling any better than when the conversation had started. She was choosing her words very carefully, but he clearly wasn't showing the same consideration. "Well, __**should**_ _someone new arrive in town. Would you …"_

_Puck rolled his eyes at her choose-your-own-adventure style of conversation, muttering, "Look don't touch. I got it." He shook his head a little when she tried desperately to censor her widening smile by biting her lip. It worked for shit, but it was hot as hell, so he let it go. "You're only gonna be gone like three months. S'not the end of the world, B."_

_She conceded with a determined nod, the affection in her following embrace waning when he ended his argument with, "Plus, there's always phone sex."_

* * *

_**Rachel: **__This professor makes Ms. July look like a Care Bear._

_**Puck:**_ _She hot?_

_**Rachel: **__He's male._

_**Puck: **__Fuck him._

_**Puck:**_ _Not like that._

_She laughed at how immediate his second text was sent, rolling her eyes even as she typed out a new subject._

_**Rachel:**_ _How's glee?_

_**Puck:**_ _New kid thinks he's the next Berry._

_**Rachel: **__Please. :)_

_**Puck: **__Right?_

_**Puck:**_ _Should come show him a thing or 2._

_**Rachel: **__Wish I could. :(_

_**Puck:**_ … _me too._

* * *

_Rachel practically stomped away from her fathers and the rest of the guests invited to the Berry house to celebrate Hanukkah, dragging Noah behind her by the sleeve of his dress shirt. She forced him into the furthest room away from the main hallway, unsurprised when she turned and he'd moved as far away as he could get. "This needs to stop. I don't want to spend our __**only**_ _time together arguing."_

_He felt immediately defensive (probably still lingering from the snide remark she'd uttered to some relative he'd never remember). "I ain't the reason this has been our first night together."_

"_I'd informed you __**weeks**_ _ago that I'd made plans, then my fathers had prepared dinner when I finally did arrive home. What was I supposed to say?" She placed her hands on her hips, consciously trying to keep them from lifting in exasperation even though she felt like a broken record. "Sorry, Daddy. I know you went through a lot of trouble, but this is the only time I can have sex with my boyfriend."_

"_S'a start," he answered bitterly. "Better than being an old classmate you're visiting," he pointed out, her visit to McKinley yesterday before school let out still resting heavily on him._

"_Really?" She asked, her voice hitching at the end before she threw his own accusation back in his face, "As opposed to being your __**friend**__?"_

_Puck huffed and turned around, facing the wall even though he'd screwed his eyes shut. He ran his hands over his short hair in frustration, wishing she'd just understand why he was pissed instead of having to say it. His was legitimate; she'd come by the tire shop this morning with muffins and he'd introduced her as his friend because everyone already knew her - they knew her because the last time she'd been at the shop was with Finn. He just didn't want things to be weird or be disrespectful or whatever, but hers had been to a bunch of kids who didn't care or matter and Mr. Schue, who already knew they were dating._

"_I thought girls were the ones caught up on labels," she finally relented, her question snarky but her voice too sensitive to be misconstrued. He laughed, too, though it came out just before a long, winded sigh. She knew he didn't like to talk about his feelings and things of that nature, but there was obviously something weighing on his mind and she wished he'd let her help. He was always there to help her, even when he wasn't actually __**there**__. "Talk to me."_

"_I miss you," he bit out after a long moment of silence - his inner monologue calling him a pansy the entire time._

_Her gaze softened even more, his confession forcing a smile onto her lips. "I miss you, too."_

"_No," he growled, stepping back as she moved in for a hug. His eyes pierced into hers, his voice hard but barely above a whisper. "Like, all. the. fucking. time."_

_Of course she was happy, but her frown matched his nonetheless. She felt the same way, both toward him and about them; the distance was hard, and not for the reasons she thought it would be - or not entirely anyway. She'd been pleasantly surprised to learn they were able to function without the physical contact - no one would guess it, but she was almost just as needy when it came to that kind of affection - but she also understood that they could only sustain a relationship without it for so long; there was thin line between being a couple and being friends (she knew because they'd toed it more than once over the years) and she didn't want to go back._

"_I have a little time now," she offered lightly, stepping close enough that she had to tilt her head back to look into his eyes. "Would you like one of your eight gifts early?"_

_Puck chuckled in reply, wrapping his arms around her and nodding his head yes even as it delved into the crook of her shoulder and neck. She did that crazy mix between a giggle and a sigh, and then she told him to go lock the door. Maybe it would be a happy Hanukkah after all._

* * *

_She broke through the silence first, her skin still sweaty and their breathing still a bit ragged as she lifted her cheek off his bare chest and rested her chin on him instead. "I wish you didn't have to go."_

"_We're in the home stretch, babe," Puck reminded her, idly stroking her naked back with his fingers. He'd managed to get the sheet to fall right above her ass, but he stopped there to avoid any further temptation; he'd only flown in for her spring break and his plane was boarding later in the morning. They probably barely had time for the shower sex he was __**so**_ _going to talk her into. "Just a few more weeks and you'll be back in Ohio." He propped his head up with his other arm so he could see her without going cross-eyed. "It'll be like this all the time."_

_She rolled her eyes even though her stomach flipped a little. "How exactly are we finding all this alone time with me living at my fathers' and you with your mom and sister?" She laughed lightly, pointing toward the other curtained room on the opposite end of the loft. "We're only alone __**now**_ _because Kurt went to Blaine and Sam's."_

"_Maybe I'll get my own place."_

"_Noah," she chastised lightly, trying not to laugh. "You can't possibly rent an apartment just so we can have sex."_

_He scoffed. "Isn't that why __**most**_ _people do it?" He moved his hand off her back, using it to cover her mouth before she could further derail them. "S'not the point." He moved his hand away from her lips once he knew she wouldn't interrupt, his fingers curling around her ear to push aside some of her sex-mused locks. "I've been thinkin' about getting one, for school." He cleared his throat nervously, waiting until her widened eyes fell back to normal size. "I, uh, kinda like the whole grease monkey thing and people say I'm gettin' good at it. I guess LCC has this program that I could start in the fall and be done in like, 18 months, and … I thought I might give it a shot."_

_Rachel was fairly certain she hurt him as she darted up his frame, but she couldn't go another second without kissing him. He sounded so hesitantly excited and she was so proud of him and … well, she was starting to accept the fact that there was never really a __**bad**_ _reason to kiss him. Even at the very beginning when she'd concocted many conceivably legitimate ones (e.g. they were too different, it seemed wrong given their history, etc.), they were all eventually outweighed by just how much she liked him. How much … _

"_I love you."_

_It was the first time she'd said those words to him - and the first time she'd said them to anyone since Finn. Yet, at the same time, it had been completely natural, as if she'd spoken them a million times before. They weren't rushed or coerced, flippant or rehearsed. She said it because it had felt right; it was true, and that was really all that mattered. And she didn't even care that he didn't reciprocate. The way his entire body relaxed under her was all the affirmation she needed that they were on the same page._

"_Enough to engage in some shower sex?"_

* * *

_She made some finishing touches to the last edge, stepping back to check her progress before rocking forward to peel away the painter's tape guarding the window sill. The living room looked far more lively with the color she'd chosen, and it brought a smile to her face when she considered that her color choice would greet Noah each day he came home to his new apartment. It made it seem more like it was theirs than just his, like she'd be there even when she wasn't. Rachel had said such to him, too, when they were buying it at Lowe's, but he'd promptly reminded her that it was only July and they still had another month before she'd leave Ohio again for New York. _

"_You've got some paint on your face."_

"_I do?"_

_Puck nodded, smirking as he moved closer to her. "Right," he drawled, inconspicuously lifting his paint brush and smudging it across her cheek, "there."_

"_Noah!" She screeched, hurrying to wipe the colorful liquid off her skin only to make the spot that much worse - and getting it on her hand, too. His sudden retreat sent her into full on predatory mode, her own paint brush clutched in her hand as she darted after him. They continued with a complete chase through his apartment for another five or ten minutes, each trying to get the best of the other without getting caught. By the end of it there was a large paint print of her back on the inside of his bedroom door - where the game had ended and the lovemaking had begun. _

_Puck told her he wouldn't paint over it; turned out he, too, liked having something that made him think she was there when she wasn't._

* * *

"Rachel Berry!" The stagehand announced loudly, then winced when he saw her right next to him. "You're next."

She smiled in appreciation and moved to the side of the stage, shaking her hands and arms a little to loosen up. Typically she would have already gone through her runs to warm up and she'd use this time to feed off the crowd while the other performer was on, but tonight was different. For one, she was still too inside her own head to really even listen to the other singer, and, for another, she might actually start crying if she thought about her own performance. It wasn't from nervousness or from fear; the song was new, but the words rang too true for her to worry about fumbling them. She knew the lyrics word for word not because she'd practiced it a million times, but rather because they were hers. She'd wrote them over the course of their relationship, and perfected them at what she still could only imagine was the end.

_Rachel picked up the phone without even opening her eyes, without barely moving off her pillow. "Hello?"_

"_Plane tickets are fuckin' expensive." He paused. "Did I wake ya?" _

_She smiled deeply at the abrupt conversation change and the surprise in his voice, even though her reply was a tad defensive. "I was up all night working on a project that's due tomorrow." She stretched onto her back, her eyes moving to her alarm clock. "Why are __**you**_ _awake so early?"_

"_Class."_

_He'd only said one word, but she heard the hint of so much satisfaction and pride that she could hardly stay mad at him, even though she wasn't really upset to begin with. "What's this about a plane ticket?" She hinged forward suddenly, her heart beating rapidly. "Are you planning to visit? I'd love that!"_

_He laughed. "Thinkin' about it, for your birthday slash Halloween or whatever. But, fuck. Not enough blood and semen, ya know?"_

_She scrunched her nose in disgust, but ignored everything negative to only focus on the good parts of the conversation. "That would be the best present __**ever. **__My birthday is in the middle of the week, though. Were you thinking the weekend before or the weekend after?" She didn't wait for a response. "The weekend after would be better. Well, not the Friday, but you could come later and stay through Monday!"_

"_I've got a test that day." He grumbled. "And some workshop thing. __**And**_ _work."_

_She frowned, and she knew it was evident over the phone, too. "I have a mandatory rehearsal the Saturday before. It's basically our midterm."_

"_Whatever." He paused long enough for it to be uncomfortable. "It was just an idea." _

_He sounded as defeated as she felt._

* * *

_Rachel sat nervously on the couch, her eyes peeking past the veil of her hair to check Noah's status in the kitchen. They'd agreed to stay in this evening since it was their last one together before she left for New York tomorrow, and he'd gallantly offered to clean up the dishes she'd dirtied making them dinner. The longer he took, however, and the more she wondered whether he had something to tell her, too, that he was putting off. When he finally returned to the living room and took the spot next to her on the couch, his hand immediately grabbing the remote to turn on some sports program, it seemed unlikely. _

"_Noah," she began softly, turning on the sofa to face him better and smiling slightly at the way the hand he'd rested on her thigh just moved with her. "Could you … maybe …"_

"_You wanna?" He asked in surprise, immediately turning off the television and getting up to move before she stopped him._

"_No." She laughed, then rolled her eyes at his expression. "I mean, of course. But, that's not … I have something to tell you, first."_

_He slouched back down into the cushions, his expression guarded. History told him no good could come from that sentence. Although, history had told him a lot of things that hadn't pertained to Rachel and/or their current relationship. She said they were making their own history; he figured it was just a matter of time. In fact, she'd been kind of weird all break, so perhaps his time was up._

"_There's a chance, though I'm currently in the midst of researching more to find other ways to satisfy the requirement without it having to come to the conclusion that was presented to me, but there's a chance I might need to stay in New York during the summer."_

_She watched him carefully, noted the slight slump in his shoulders and the heavy sigh he emitted before responding with not much more than a shrug. She cleared her throat. "Okay?"_

"_Sure." He shrugged again, turning back on the television just to distract him from her wounded expression and the desperation he felt coursing through his veins. "What am I gonna say? It's for school, right? So, ya gotta." Even he was surprised his rational side had so much control over his mouth. Apparently he __**was**_ _growing up. "I'll have a full course-load plus work still, so s'not like I won't be busy, too."_

"_Right." She nodded, knowing he was right but still wishing he was as upset about the development as she had been. The distance seemed worse this year, probably because he was just as busy as she was; they were both counting on the summer as a time to unwind and regroup before they each finished their last semesters. "And I might still get out of it. There's the possibility of an online class or working out some sort of work study arrangement or ..."_

"_Whatever," he interrupted, turning the TV off again before using his position to yank her from the couch and onto his lap. "Let's not waste what time we __**do**_ _have together with you yappin' 'bout us being apart."_

_Rachel hated being interrupted, and she didn't much appreciate his tone nor the words he spoke, but she couldn't deny the desire that quickly built inside her the second his lips made contact with her skin. He wasn't wrong, either, though she had to wonder if they were about to engage in sexual activity (in the middle of his living room) out of passion for seizing the moment or because they were passionate about distracting themselves from the sadness of their inevitable separation._

* * *

_**Puck:**_ _It's snowing again._

_**Rachel: **__I want to see! It's just freezing here!_

_**Puck: **__Fuckin' Sarah broke my camera._

_**Rachel: **__:(_

_**Puck:**_ _I know. I won't be able to send you any more naked pics either._

_**Rachel: **__Darn. ;)_

_**Puck: **__I can still get 'em, though._

_**Rachel: **__Nice try. 3_

_It was the longest conversation they'd had in a week. In fact, Puck was starting to replace his mind's picture of her with a round, yellow smiley face._

* * *

_He was the first call she made, her hands still shaking even though she was nearly back to the loft after having immediately left her advisor's office. "Noah!"_

"_S'up, babe?"_

"_You'll never guess what happened!" She didn't wait long enough for him to make some lame attempt. "I was just speaking with my advisor regarding the summer situation and she informed me there was a slot open for the senior showcase and she asked __**me**_ _if I wanted it."_

"_Baby, that's awesome!"_

"_I know! I can't believe my luck. I mean, obviously I've earned the spot with my talent and dedication, but it's still extremely gratifying to have been chosen for the senior showcase given my current class standing. And it's going to be a lot of work - we perform in just __**three**_ _weeks! - but this is exactly the break I've been needing. You know how I've been feeling lately about whether I made the right choice when I decided to go back to pursuing music - albeit a different field, but I digress. There are going to be so many important people at this showcase … it's the sign I needed to know I am on the right track and now that I have this momentum, I can't help but think more and more about the future and …"_

"_Whoa, slow down." Puck chuckled a little, wondering when he went from tuning her out to getting at least every other word in her long diatribes. But then, as the rest of her words filtered through his brain, he suddenly felt a sense of panic. "Are ya … I mean, you're still coming home for break, yeah?"_

"_Noah," she chastised lightly, entering the loft and immediately searching out Kurt; they just __**had **__to go out and celebrate. "Anything could happen at this showcase. I still have to finish my schooling - I'm not going to make that same mistake twice - but this isn't the time for me to take a three-month vacation. If this is really what I want to pursue, then I need to push myself even harder while I still have the safety of the university to support me."_

"_But ... this summer." _

_It wasn't really even a sentence, but he was kind of hanging by a thread. He was sitting in his car outside the tire shop, literally having just pulled up for work when she'd called, but his physical being and his mental being couldn't have been farther apart. Mentally, he was racing, wondering how it was possible that he had to remind her of their plans when __**he **__hadn't been able to stop thinking about them. He was still going to be in school and had to work, but just knowing that she'd be at his place waiting for him was all that he had been holding onto lately. In fact, he'd gladly taken the shit the guys had given him when he'd said as much; the whole ball-n-chain syndrome didn't even register with him anymore, the thought of them being apart for an additional three months __**much**_ _worse than any claustrophobia he might have worried about thinking of her waiting for him at home every night._

"_Noah, I don't have a choice," she answered, starting to understand his excitement for her had died down considerably. "Even if nothing happens from the showcase, I can't just pack up and leave with only one more semester left before school ends. If I do that … it all would have been for nothing."_

_He remained quiet, hoping the echoing of her words would hush before his shift started. If he had to work for the next six hours with "it all would have been for nothing" ringing in his ears, he might legit lose it. What about them? Were they all for nothing, too? And what about before? She hadn't cared about taking time off when it had been about Finn - and, of course, he couldn't say that; not just because he didn't want to sound like an asshole but because he didn't want to sound like a bitch on top of it._

"_We shouldn't be fighting," she continued, placating him with her tone. "This is good news. It's the first step toward the rest of our lives, Noah." She sighed dreamily, resting on her bed and staring at a photo of the two of them from back in the spring. "We'll both finish our degrees in December, and then we'll be here, together, just like we've always talked about."_

"_We never talked about that."_

"_Yes we did!_

"_No," he replied harshly. "__**You**_ _talked."_

_She sat up a little unsteadily, her voice shaking as much as her hands (now for a completely different reason). "Are you … are you saying you're not thinking about moving here?"_

_Puck shook his head, not thinking that at all but hating that she assumed such. "Why should I move?" He ignored her gasp, playing out the hypothetical mostly just because he was sick of sitting in silence. "I like the tire shop; I know it, the people, the clientele. It would take me years to work up to the position Burt said he'd give me flat out once I graduated."_

"_So, you're going to run the tire shop?" She asked incredulously, shaking her head as if that would be all it took to undo everything he'd just said. "After everything you've ever said about wanting to get out of Lima?"_

_He scoffed a little. "I don't need a fancy zip code to be somebody important."_

"_I don't need that either!" She defended instantly, swinging her feet down to the ground and beginning to pace her tiny room. _

"_Are ya sure?"_

_She seethed at how patronizing he sounded, but a fraction of her psyche seemed to recognize a lilt of desperation hidden in his voice. "Yes, I'm sure," she responded flatly, defiantly. "But … given your reservations, perhaps we both should take some time to think about whether we're equally __**sure**_ _if __**us**_ _is what we both really want."_

"_Fine," he choked out, his voice hard and as emotionless as he could make it. "Fuck it. Take all the time ya need."_

* * *

Rachel hiccuped, holding back a sob as the memory of their last fight threatened to wreck her completely. It had, for the past three weeks, but right now she needed to walk onto the stage and convince hundreds of people that she was a star. She had to use that emotion for her performance, somehow walking the fine line between powerful and debilitating.

"Good evening," she greeted lowly, adjusting the microphone shakily as she screwed on the biggest smile she could muster. "My name is Rachel Berry, and I'll be singing an original piece for you tonight. I've only just wrote it and it's, um, kind of sad. But … well, so am I." She shrugged helplessly, wishing now that she'd at least practiced her opening even though the song hadn't needed rehearsed. "I'm dedicating it to anyone who is in a long-distance relationship."

As she moved the microphone away and stepped back to center stage to wait for the music's cue, she couldn't help but hope she was still included in that group.

You say love is what you put into it

You say that I'm losing my will

Don't you know that you're all that I think about?

You make up a half of the whole

*s*

You say that it's hard to commit to it

You say that it's hard standing still

Don't you know that I spend all my nights

Counting backwards the days 'til I'm home?

*s*

If only New York wasn't so far away

I promise this city won't get in our way

When you're scared and alone,

Just know that I'm already home

She took a breath, surveyed the content looks of those in the audience that she could see as a shot of confidence, but couldn't help but continue to think about Noah. She'd dedicated the song to anyone in a long-distance relationship, but she'd clearly written it for him. Every single word was about him or their relationship, and even though it was kind of sad, she wished with everything in her that the underlying hopefulness of it would rub off onto them; she'd never wanted to take a break - and certainly hadn't wanted to go three weeks without even a text from him. She didn't think it was possible after what had happened with Finn, but Rachel felt even sicker - _emptier _- without Noah in her life.

I say that we're right in the heart of it

A love only we understand

I will bend every light in this city

And make sure they're shining on you

*s*

If only New York wasn't so far away

I promise this city won't get in our way

When you're scared and alone,

Just know that I'm already home

If home was where your heart was, then Noah was her home. She'd known it for a long time now, and it wasn't going to change. Obviously she wasn't naive enough to think they wouldn't still fight or that everything would be perfect if they could just get over this, but she did know that he was _it_ for her. And even though he didn't talk about his feelings much (more willingly the longer they dated, but he was still a man), she knew he felt the same. The geography thing was just part of them paying their dues, and she was willing to do that (and pretty much anything) if it meant she got to have him in the end.

When life takes its own course

Sometimes we just don't get to choose

I'd rather be there next to you

Promise you'll wait for me, wait for me

Wait 'til I'm home

*s*

All I have is this feeling inside of me

The only thing I've ever known…

Just as the orchestra really took off, the words stalled on her lips and her eyes squinted in an attempt to see past the blinding stage lights. She'd been seeing his face nonstop for the past few weeks, but this time she knew it wasn't a mirage. She climbed down the front steps and toward the back, her gait increasing as his features became less and less blurry - and then more and more blurry as her eyes filled up with tears. It wasn't until she was close enough to see the large duffel bag in his hand that she let her smile/hope break free. She knew everyone was watching her - the music had finally stopped after they'd realized this wasn't part of her performance - but all she cared about was him.

"You didn't wait for me."

He smirked, then shrugged casually as he lifted his bag back up so it rested on his shoulder. He casually grabbed her hand and gestured toward the exit with his head. "Let's go home."

She pushed herself into him, letting her hand remain cradled in his while her other arm wrapped tightly around his waist. Her head rested heavily against his chest, her eyes closing as she soaked in his presence - the beating of his heart, the warmth of his skin, the smell of his soap. Right then, she would have walked all the way to Ohio if that was honestly what she'd thought he was implying. He wasn't, though, and that made her willingness all that more important to voice.

She bent back only as much as she needed to in order to see into his eyes, a rush of air escaping her at the softness staring back into her own. Quickly, she reached up and pressed her lips to his, breaking away the next moment and whispering, "I'm there now."

...If only New York wasn't so far away

I promise this city won't get in our way

When you're scared and alone,

Just know that I'm already home

*s*

If only New York wasn't so far away

I will be there every step of the way

When you're scared and alone,

Just know that I'm already home

Just know that I'm already home


End file.
